Everyone has anxiety at times. What is it, exactly? According to the American Psychological Association: “Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” It is fundamentally a fear response, usually milder than full blown panic but with essentially the same physical response – a response … Continue reading Anxious thoughts…
Feelings
Inside Depression
Depression is not sadness. It can encompass this feeling and others, but in my opinion it is more a numbing, a stuffing of unexpressed, unprocessed feelings. It is being stuck and going around and round the same old thoughts and feelings without ceasing. It is a darkness and a grey curtain between you and the … Continue reading Inside Depression
Tell Me A Story
People need to be heard, and to have their feelings validated. Everyone has a story - how they grew up, what happened to them, and how it affected them. Not everyone has had a tragic past or experienced trauma, but the most important thing is how one experiences and feels about what has happened in … Continue reading Tell Me A Story
The Myth of Security
Bearing in mind recent events surrounding tropical storm Harvey, and another hurricane on the way, this not meant to be insensitive. I am distressed when I see and hear about hardship -- I know what it’s like to have your life turned suddenly upside down. I’ve been collecting poems and quotations since high school, and … Continue reading The Myth of Security
What’s emotion got to do with it?
Emotions have a lot to do with a lot, actually. But not just emotions; we humans are also uniquely capable of reasoning, of logical thought. To put it simply, we have higher brain functions. Yet it's commonly thought that feelings come from the lower, more primitive part of our brains. So we struggle. I have … Continue reading What’s emotion got to do with it?
Ruth Mellenthin, LCSW 